​Disabled Women Make History

March 9, 2022, 2:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register for this free event online.

In honor of Women's History Month, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is pleased to announce a collaboration with Disability EmpowHer Network to host "Disabled Women Make History," a free webinar featuring a panel discussion with three extraordinary women living with paralysis, on March 9, 2022. Curran Brown, Jill Moore, and Liz Persaud will explore the complexities, struggles, and accomplishments that they have experienced living with paralysis. Stephanie Woodward, Executive Director of Disability EmpowHer Network , will be leading this crucial conversation.

In July of 2021, Stephanie Woodward, Reeve Foundation blogger and Executive Director of Disability EmpowHer Network, started a monthly blog series called Disabled Women Make History to celebrate the achievements of women with disabilities. The series is based on interviews with passionate, determined, and talented women with paralysis. This webinar will be an extension of the series as we continue to celebrate and spotlight these women during Women’s History Month.

Curran Brown is a 26-year-old travel enthusiast from Decatur, Georgia, who has been living and thriving with a spinal cord injury (SCI) since she was six. When working as a peer supporter for individuals with recently acquired SCI at the Shepherd Center, Curran recognized the need for people with disabilities to have an active professional role in SCI rehab and found her love for occupational therapy. As a result, Curran moved to London, UK to pursue her master's degree in occupational therapy (OT) at Brunel University and is expected to graduate November 2022. Since beginning her studies, her love for neuro rehabilitation has grown and she has also found new interest in forensic OT and working in mental health. When she's not studying, she's playing wheelchair basketball with East London Phoenix, a part of the very first premier women's league for wheelchair basketball.

Jill Moore works with the LSI team in adding user voice within product development, as well as inclusive design practices. With a specific focus on merging lived experience with universal design principles, Jill promotes and educates on integrating multi-generational design, inclusion in play, and bringing people with disabilities into the conversation. In traveling across the country to deliver accredited educational courses both in the classroom and on the playground; play has become her full time role. During her lifetime, she has represented Team USA in wheelchair racing, swimming, and basketball on multiple occasions, bringing perspective on the importance of the formative role of recreation- and how imperative equitable access to play is for all.

Liz Persaud is a nationally recognized public speaker and advocate addressing the need to build bridges and solidify the gaps between individuals living with and without disabilities. Liz is the Program and Outreach Manager for Tools for Life, Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Program, at Georgia Tech. In this role, she oversees activities and projects that focus on raising awareness on assistive technology. Liz also serves on the Board of Directors at NMD United, Inc., a non-profit organization composed of adults living with neuromuscular disabilities and provides outreach, peer support, grants and raises disability awareness across the globe. Liz is sought-after for her influential storytelling, shedding light on everyday living, inter-abled relationships, and the power of assistive technology.

Moderated by

Stephanie Woodward is an attorney, activist, and organizer, passionate about Disability Rights and empowering people with disabilities. She is also the co-founder and Executive Director of Disability EmpowHer Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls and women with disabilities to grow, learn, and develop to their highest potential and have the confidence to lead. Her experience in the Disability Community spans from litigating Disability Rights cases, to advising U.S. Senators on disability issues, to leading protests to demand the enforcement, advancement, and protection of Disability Rights laws - and she has an arrest record to show for it. As a proud disabled woman and civil rights activist, Stephanie is committed to bringing more women and girls with disabilities to the forefront through mentoring and activism.

The webinar will be held from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern Time. Registration to attend the free presentation is now open.